Kathmandu: Human casualties from natural disasters increased in the past 90 days of the monsoon this year compared to the corresponding period last year.
According to the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Authority (NDRRMA), 225 people died in monsoon-induced disasters from June 10 to September 7. Authority Spokesperson Dr Dijan Bhattarai said that in the given period, 49 people have gone missing and 284 have been injured. However, the number affected is less than in the previous year.
The Authority shared information about this in its report highlighting the 90-day updates on Sunday. The figure of the affected is 4,615. The death toll last year during the corresponding period was 85 with 29 missing and 126 injuries. The number affected was 6,030.
Monsoon this time resulted in the highest number of 57 deaths in Bagamati Province while the lowest five in the Madhesh Province. The highest number of 135 casualties was due to landslides and the lowest 40 was because of the heavy rain. Similarly, 49 deaths are due to flooding and 40 from lightning. Among those 62 who went missing following the accidents of two passenger buses at Simlaltal of Bharatpur metropolis in Chitwan on July 12 due to earthflow, the bodies of 24 have been retrieved.
This year Dodhara Chandani of Kanchanpur district witnessed the record-breaking rainfall on July 7 due to the Terai cloudburst. The area recorded the historic 624 mm rainfall in the 24 hours from 8:45 am on July 7 to 08:45 am on July 8, in 77 years.